Entertainment law includes legal services, such as contracts and copyrights, that are aimed at safeguarding pieces of entertainment like books, movies and visual arts. In the entertainment industry, safeguarding your work from being exploited or plagiarized by others is an imminent concern. To safeguard the intellectual property rights of artists, copyright and trademark laws are available to those working in Ohio.

What is A Copyright?

A copyright includes the privilege to exclusively produce a given form of entertainment, and the copyright holder must give consent for others to be able to use it. In order to comply with the entertainment laws in Ohio, someone seeking to use your copyrighted material must negotiate and acquire a license or contract from you first. Whether you can acquire a copyright, the procedure for getting one, and how long it lasts once issued are questions determined by entertainment law. With a copyright, you can protect your property rights for the future, or you can simply start licensing it to others.

What is a Trademark?

A particular commercial brand may have a symbol or other notable visual characteristic to serve as a trademark. In the entertainment industry, they help to create product recognition. Trademarks, unlike copyrights, do not expire. However, they must be registered with the U.S. patent and trademark office. Once you have your trademark, creating brand identity becomes much easier.

How Can a Ohio Attorney Help?

Deciding whether you need a trademark or copyright is often a decision best made with the advice of an attorney in Whitehall that has experienced in entertainment law. The filing process in Ohio can also go more smoothly with an attorney to guide you.